[psikey]

On the verge of buying some Shure SE530's next week after all the excellent reviews and now price is just £210. Really want to see what top quality sounds like.

I know you need good bitrate (256-320kbps) mp3's or lossless to get the most out of them but how are they likely to compare to my current earplugs?

I use DS980 bluetooth headset & HPM-70 which are much better than standard iPod earplugs already. These give out excellent bass with my iPod Nano & SE W960i Walkman phone and I need the Shures to have bass at least as good. Is it really going to be a significant improvement with thumping bass when needed yet sharp & clear as reviews indicate.

Do they feel big when worn as they are obviously bigger than something like the HPM-70's. Also, can they be worn ok with cable hangging down rather than looping behind the ear?

Can't go anywhere to try these out really so its a gamble.

[padi89]

Originally Posted by psikey

On the verge of buying some Shure SE530's next week after all the excellent reviews and now price is just £210. Really want to see what top quality sounds like.

I know you need good bitrate (256-320kbps) mp3's or lossless to get the most out of them but how are they likely to compare to my current earplugs?

I use DS980 bluetooth headset & HPM-70 which are much better than standard iPod earplugs already. These give out excellent bass with my iPod Nano & SE W960i Walkman phone and I need the Shures to have bass at least as good. Is it really going to be a significant improvement with thumping bass when needed yet sharp & clear as reviews indicate.

Do they feel big when worn as they are obviously bigger than something like the HPM-70's. Also, can they be worn ok with cable hangging down rather than looping behind the ear?

Can't go anywhere to try these out really so its a gamble.

They should be miles ahead of your bluetooth headset as long as you get a correct fit.If thumping bass is your thing then you would be much better off going for Westone UM2s,cheaper too
http://www.earphonesolutions.com/weinea.html

Nope they wont fell big at all but when you first start using iems it can be a strange experience.The isolation is pretty mad ,some find it a bit clostrophobic
but i think its brilliant,they may be a tad uncomfortable initially until your ear gets used to them.You can wear them hanging down i guess if your sitting somewhere but not on the move.

[psikey]

Originally Posted by padi89

They should be miles ahead of your bluetooth headset as long as you get a correct fit.If thumping bass is your thing then you would be much better off going for Westone UM2s,cheaper too
http://www.earphonesolutions.com/weinea.html

Nope they wont fell big at all but when you first start using iems it can be a strange experience.The isolation is pretty mad ,some find it a bit clostrophobic
but i think its brilliant,they may be a tad uncomfortable initially until your ear gets used to them.You can wear them hanging down i guess if your sitting somewhere but not on the move.

Thanks for reply, the two I mentioned above are ear cannal ones with silicon cups similar to those of the Shures so no problem getting a seal & reasonably comfortable (the Shure foams are supposedly even more comfortable).

Interested in your comments on the Bass response on the Shures as from what I've read some say they are Bass heavy with some preffering Super Hi? for cleaner bass & improved treble.

Do you hear the separation of the 3 different drivers compared to cheaper headsets when the one driver has to be a jack of all trades. Is it a bit like listening to a sound system without a woofer then the noticeable difference when a woofer is introduced where you actually start to feel the bass rather than just hear it?

Regarding the UM2's, arn't they dual drivers rather than triple drivers and would'nt that make they lower quality. See loads of reviews for SE530's & Super Fi but not so much for the UM2's???

[Keiron]

I have been using Stax Lambda Pro Signatures for more years than I care to remember. By many people's reckoning, they're just about the best headphones money can buy. I have never heard better.

A couple of months ago, due to a change of "lifestyle" (ie getting out to walk the dog more) and in conjunction with receiving a Sony NWZ 818 as a "bonus" for spending too much money on my credit card, the quality of which astounded me (it trounces my iPod), my interest in personal hifi was reignited. I already had a pair of Shure E3s which were excellent, but pushed the boat out and bought the 530s.

I am now considering selling my Staxes, so good are the Shures. They are sublime. The bass cracks along, punching and slamming. The treble soars without piercing and vocals have never sounded so intelligible. I enjoy listening to music on these more than my Staxes, Dynaudio Contour speakers or just about any system I've heard. And this is with them plugged into a Sony personal playing 128kbps AAC files. (Call me cloth eared, but I genuinely can't tell 128 from lossless on a reliable basis.)

In 30 odd years of wasting money on hifi, "upgrading" components year after year, I have never been so impressed with a change of component. The only downside for me is the stupid, stupid cabling "system" and choice of wire (I've posted before about it) but nevertheless, I still recommend them without hesitation.

[Reano]

Upgrading can be a 'waste' but at least you know now how to tell the good from the bad. I have the shure e500 which is the earlier version of the se530. I absolutely love the Shure e500. The downside is as others have said claustrophobia. I don't know how much better it will sound than the bluetooth you got but I did have the Westone UM2 and sold them after getting the shures. The Westones are very good but when it comes to vocals the shures win's hands down. The shures have sizeable bass and are comfortable, etc.. I now do not look at other in ear reviews as I am content (which says it all look at my signature).

I do still prefer overears like Sennheiser HE60, Stax Omega or RS1 but for hearing every detail (which doesn't necessairly make things musical) the 530 wins hands down!